Disclaimer- I don't, in any way, own Tales Of Symphonia. I beg, just don't sue me because I don't have any money and I'm not profiting from this in any way.

Chapter Thirteen: Confession

"I think he needs a break," Anna commented, talking to Noishe. Noishe answered her with a whine, and she nodded in understanding. "You're right. One night with society wouldn't kill him."

They had been traveling for almost two weeks straight, living off what the forest could provide, staying away from towns, and keeping to the back roads. Frankly, she wanted to see people. While she loved spending time with Kratos (how could anyone not want a gorgeous man such as him sleeping next to them?), she was yearning for new faces.

"What are you plotting?" He turned around and faced his two companions. He crossed his arms over his chest, his usual male arrogance. "Would you speak of it now?"

"He caught us," Anna whispered to Noishe. The dog yipped. She looked to Kratos and smiled. "I was wondering-"

"No."

She frowned. "Why not?"

"Because, distractions will only get in the way of your training, and you get distracted quite easily."

"Well, that's only because you provide the destructions," she said seductively. She slinked her arms around his neck and pressed his body to hers. She felt his muscles tighten. "Besides, I promise you that I won't get distracted in training." Her lips went to his. "I love you."

"I love you too, Anna, more then anything there ever was," he murmured. He hated it when she did this to him, made him do almost anything. He loved her that much, and it was starting to show.

"Then we can go to Tethe'alla, and see the city of Meltokio?" He placed his hands on her waist, kissing her deeply. She broke from it. "Please?" She put on the puppy face she knew he couldn't hold out from. She gave a gorgeous smile, just to make sure he would give in.

He gave a mock sigh, but then smiled slightly. "Wherever you want to go, I'll take you."

"Thank you." They kissed yet again, Anna melting in his arms, and he held her close. It felt so special, so perfect so…right, and she knew that this man, outside of time, was still her soul mate. "Kratos…"

"Bark!"

"And you can come too Noishe," he said.

"Ready?" he turned to her.

She nodded. "Ready?" She adjusted her weapon belt on last time and checked her pack. She couldn't believe this was happening. Kratos was going to take her to Tethe'alla, after all this time, he was taking her. "So…what should I do?"

He didn't say anything, merely looked at her from behind his hair, no emotion showing on his face. Actually, that was quite surprising, because she hadn't seen him do that for a while, and while it intrigued her, it also made her nervous.

"Kratos!"

"I'm thinking." He smiled as she laughed and he grabbed her waist. "Hold on tight. This might get a little…windy." Brilliant wings of light sprang forth from his back, and she was amazed at the beauty of them. Then, she looked at his face, his eyes closed, lips forming words she didn't quite understand. Then, there was wind, colored wind, swirling around them. They lifted off the ground and she almost let go at the sudden force, but he grabbed her. He shouted in her ear, "Stay close!"

Unknown power pulled at her body, made her feel like she was being torn apart. The pain was immense, but she tried to stay awake, even though black was creeping in at the edge of her vision. She couldn't understand how Kratos was handling it so well.

Then, there was a strange blackness around them, as if they were floating in nothingness. There was silence, no more roar of the wind. She saw Kratos, but nothing else, and he seemed to be sleeping.

"Kratos?" She gently cupped his face in her hands, surprised at the smoothness of it. His eyes snapped open and she gasped. "Are you okay?"

He groaned, slowly looking around. Then, he said, "That wasn't supposed to happen." There was no emotion on his face and Anna went hysterical.

"What do you mean that wasn't supposed to happen?" she shrieked. "You mean we're not supposed to be here? What is this place?" She looked around quickly and gasped. "Where's Noishe! Oh no! We're going to die!"

His hand covered her mouth. "We're not going to die, but if you would allow me to think for a moment, I might be able to figure out this place." They were silent for a long while, Anna staring at him intently, and then she noticed a slight blush creeping up his face. "I think we're in…the Spirit Realm."

"The what?" she asked.

"The Spirit Realm," he repeated. "If we are, then I should be able to find the safe zone."

"The what?" she asked again. For some reason, she was feeling very much the fool. "I'm sorry, it's just, I've never heard of this place."

"It's not well known." Slowly, a large mansion appeared before them, floating in the black space, immense and beautiful. The feeling of gravity came back to them as they neared the mansion, and it seemed to hit them full force and they plummeted towards the luscious grounds. Just as they were about to hit, Kratos's wings sprang out and he scooped Anna into his arms and landed safely. "I don't know this place. But…it feels…ancient."

"Of course it's ancient," a voice replied. The two turned around and saw no one. They looked at each other, confused. "Down here!" There before them stood an old woman at a height of about three feet. Anna leapt back in horror, falling back into Kratos's arms. Kratos could only stifle smile. "What? Haven't you seen a stick before?"

She was referring to the cane that she was carrying, equally horrific in appearance, much like the old woman. Kratos set Anna down. He took one more good look at the creature…thing…no, woman; unfortunately, it was a woman, and he burst out laughing, deep throaty, long winded laughing. Anna looked at him incredulously. The old woman just became angry.

"Quiet!" she shouted and Kratos stopped immediately. She cleared her throat. "Young people. They just don't have any respect." They gave their apologies and she nodded. "Well, it's been awhile since anyone's been here. What happened?"

Kratos crossed his arms, unwilling to speak, but that was why Anna was with him.

"Kratos screwed up on a transporting spell," she answered. He scoffed, as if it were a silly notion. She rolled her eyes. "You know it's true. And you lost Noishe, too!" She turned back to the old woman. "How do we get to Tethe'alla?"

"A transporting spell…Hmmm…" The old woman tapped her cane thoughtfully. She looked at Kratos, then Anna, then at Kratos again. "Young man…bend down so I can say something to you in private."

He sighed and complied.

For all her training and instincts, Anna couldn't hear a single thing. But, she was doubly curious when Kratos's face turned three new shades of bright red and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. He stood up after the old woman stopped whispering in his ear, and turned his back on the two of them.

"What did you tell him?" Anna asked.

"It is none of your business."

"The hell it isn't." Anna drew her two swords. Kratos grabbed her arms. "Let me go! Fatty here needs to be taught a lesson!"

"I am not fat!" "Calm down Anna."

"Then what did she tell you?" she asked Kratos calmly.

His face became bright red again. "I…uh…well…"

"You two can stay in my home until the young man is willing to face what needs to be done." The old woman headed towards the mansion. "Follow me and I'll show you to your rooms, but be warned…it is very easy to get lost."

"Joyful," Anna muttered as she trudged along after the old woman.

"You're part of Cruxis," the old woman whispered into his ear. "Well, you do have angel wings and great power. I should have known. But then again, it's been about two hundred years since I saw someone from Cruxis. Although, I don't know how you could have screwed up a transportation spell. But, if you want to get to Tethe'alla, you'll need to experience a moment of pure bliss."

He looked at her, slightly confused. She gave a small smile.

"I mean that a moment of pure bliss is something like a first kiss, an invigorating action that makes you feel alive. Bliss, though, is usually stimulated by a form of love. I'll leave the rest to your imagination. I hope it's not too hard. That lovely girl should be more than enough help."

Kratos sat on his bed, groaning in frustration. Every time he thought of what the old woman said, his face would burn with heat as his imagination ran free, centered solely on Anna.

He could almost taste her fragrant flesh, drink in sweat, feel her body pressed up against his—

"Aiiieeee!" he heard Anna scream.

Reflexes and adrenaline took over. His hand was on his sword and ready and he was out the door within a second, running down the lengthy hallway. All of his senses were heightened beyond the superiority that they already held. Colors and lighting were more vivid, the dust from last week could be smelt, a bug's feet scraping across the marble was heard, and he could feel every thread and fiber rubbing up against his skin. He was in tune with himself and he burst through the door into Anna's room.

There she stood, clothed in nothing but a small towel, a comb stuck in her hair. She looked at him, dumbfounded.

"I…I heard you scream," he said breathlessly. He couldn't help it, but his eyes quickly roamed over her dripping wet form a few times. A light blush rose to his face, to which he quickly hid behind his unruly hair.

She blinked a few times, trying to register that he was in her room. "Well, I didn't think it was that loud." She tore the comb through the rest of her hair, letting out another shout. "Geez, that hurts!"

Even though there wasn't any danger, his senses were still on high. He could feel the small whiffs of water vapor rolling off of her body, could see the thread that held her towel together with no problem, could hear her heart beating so fast, could smell her excitement, her arousal.

She stopped struggling with her hair. "Kratos…are you okay?" He didn't answer, merely stared at her. Suddenly, she was so aware of her state of dress. She blushed cutely, as if she were a child again. "Um…I…Maybe you should-"

She was cut off suddenly as he was on her, his mouth crushing hers, and this time she knew he wouldn't stop with kissing, that he would go so much further. He had to have her, all those times of yearning, of wanting. Every waiting moment was now an agony.

He pushed her over to the bed, all the while kissing her, whispering sweet, sweet words, knowing that now was such a perfect moment, and while she had always wanted this, something played in her mind that made her reel in horror.

He threw her onto the bed and all she could do was stare as he removed his armor: breast plate, chain mail, shin guards, his weapons. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, only stare. The spell, not horror (although that was probably a factor as well), held her immobile.

He gave a smirk as he sat on the edge of the bed, bare chest, nothing but a thin pair of cotton pants, male splendor, yet disgusting her all the more. His smirk only grew at her reaction.

"You just don't like me because I'm not Kratos." Her expression did not change at this, a mixture of disgust and defiance. He frowned. "I believe you're irritating me, wench." She knew she hit a spot and her face still remained the same. He slapped her. "Don't look at me like that!"

Blood trickled from her mouth and she spat at him. He backhanded her again. Tears, from distress and pain, leaked out and down her face. He smiled.

"I believe you'll be subdued yet." And then, his mouth was on hers, merciless, an unyielding force, and she was taken aback, especially as his hands ripped at her clothes, the sound almost deafening. As the last piece of fabric fell off of her, she began to cry when she realized that she was being raped. He laughed excitedly. "Don't worry. It only hurts a little."

She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else besides the touch of another man upon her flesh, knowing that she would be soiled now. She could only think of Kratos and her heart broke.

His rough hands, from years of wielding a sword, stroked her skin. He was being gentle, wonderful, treating her like porcelain now, and yet…

"No! Stop it! Stop it, please!" she screamed, a sob ripping from her throat. He did and looked at her, confused and hurt. She covered her face, so as to escape his gaze, her already broken heart shattering into a million more little pieces. "I can't," she whimpered. "I just can't. He took me. I'm not clean; I'm so unclean, so sorry. Forgive me, but I can't be with you. I'm not worthy." She rolled away from him, still sobbing. "I hate myself."

He stayed in his awkward position, balanced on one elbow, his other hand still clutching a small part of the bedding, and he didn't even care. He couldn't think of what to say at the moment. He had suspected that the bastard Kazim had done something terrible, but it didn't matter. He wanted so badly to tell her that he didn't care, that they belonged together no matter what, and he just couldn't do it. He couldn't do that, and it was killing him. It was killing her to not hear him say anything.

The silence became achingly long and he became more infuriated with his inability to tell her how he felt.

Finally, he was able to find his words. "Anna…" She still continued to cry. "Anna, no matter what happened to you, I don't care. I love you for who you are. There was nothing you could do to stop it. Anna. Please. Look at me."

She didn't. She wouldn't. She couldn't.

He felt rejection at her silence, and slowly eased himself off of her. Not turning his head to her, he moved away and shut the door as he left. She didn't move and only cried all the harder at her weakness.

Kratos turned down one hallway after another and then came to a halt. He looked left, then right, and then left again. Frustrated, he slammed his fist against the wall.

Where in the gods' names was his room?

"Having problems?" the old woman asked. He whirled on her, sword halfway out his sheath. He relaxed visibly when he saw it was her, but still…how had she been able to sneak up on him like that? "You were too absorbed in your thoughts. If I had been hostile, you would have been dead."

He scoffed at the mere notion of it. Arrogant, he crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want?" He didn't want to converse with this woman. He needed to go and think of a way to, unfortunately, apologize to Anna. He hated to apologize, even if it was to his equal half. "I don't have time for this."

He turned away from her.

"I'm guessing that Anna wasn't very inviting at the thought of intimacy."

His fists clenched at his side. He didn't know why, but the thought of rejection stung him so much that he felt as if someone were poking him with a blade. Forget about apologizing to Anna…How could he forgive himself, let alone tell his shining goddess that he was a fool?

"Do you watch private affairs in the bedroom?" He was beyond irritation. He was beginning to get angry, and he never trusted himself when he was angry, because there had rarely been a time when he had been, and he wasn't sure how he would react. Anna's actions shouldn't have left him like this! "It seems we won't get out of here anytime soon. Maybe there's some other way."

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Many strong powers rely on…sexual acts."

"You just enjoy my misery," he muttered.

"That too," she replied. But then, her face became serious. "I'm sorry, but most magic comes from a strong emotion, and it always seems that intimacy brings out the best in most magic users." He sighed. "Maybe you should explain this to her. She might go along with it then."

He shook his head. "No…That would make it seem like I only want to get out of here. I love Anna, and she loves me. It wouldn't be right. She would feel as if I didn't really want to be with her. It would only make things worse."

The thought of her crying came to him. His shoulders slumped at the image. To know that he had made her cry saddened him, and his heart felt so torn.

How could he be close to his precious Anna when she didn't want him?

End Chapter

Author's Notes- I live again! Muahahaha! Finally, after who knows how long, I've finished this chapter! I feel so happy! Let's just hope that chapter fourteen will start as well. I've been so busy lately, and I'm so sorry. I have to say thank you to everyone. Maybe when I get more time, I'll do it personally. Right now, they're being mean saying that we can't do that. Everyone's gone crazy!